Using soap and water is the best and most traditional way to get your hands clean, but there are times when you simply can’t get to a sink to wash them. Gel alcohol hand sanitizer is an excellent and portable solution to this dilemma – and it’s incredibly easy to make at home! Not only is making gel alcohol hand sanitizer at home an excellent project for both children and adults, but you'll also save money and end up with a great product that keeps you and your family safe from germs. Small bottles make great gifts!

Steps

Method1

Making Gel Alcohol Hand Sanitizer without Fragrance

1

Obtain your ingredients. The components needed to make gel alcohol hand sanitizer are common household products, so it’s quite possible that you already have them. If you don’t, you can obtain them easily at any drug or grocery store. You will need rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol that is at minimum 91% pure and plain aloe vera gel. That’s it!

To be comparable to store-bought products like Purell or Germ-X in terms of effectiveness, the final product needs to be at least 65% alcohol.[1] Using 91% isopropyl alcohol will place your final product within that range.

If you can find 99% isopropyl alcohol, choose that. It’s not required, but it will increase the germ-killing effectiveness of your final product.

Aloe vera gel also comes in a variety of purity options. You’ll want the purest that you can find – simply check out the label to get the purity information.[2] This doesn’t alter the effectiveness of the product, but using the purest you can find will ensure that your final mixture contains the least amount of additives and additional chemicals.

2

Gather your tools. The tools needed are also very common household items, which makes this process even easier! You’ll need a clean bowl, a spatula (or spoon), a funnel and a recycled liquid soap or hand sanitizer bottle. If you don’t have an empty bottle on hand to upcycle, you can use any kind of container you want, as long as it has a lid.

3

Combine the ingredients. Measure out 2/3 cup of isopropyl alcohol and 1/3 cup of plain aloe vera gel and dump both of them together in to the bowl. Use your spatula (or spoon) to stir vigorously until the ingredients are fully mixed together.

If you’d prefer not to mix by hand in a bowl, you can use your food processor instead.

4

Bottle your product. Use the funnel to pour the mixture directly from the bowl into the bottle you’ve chosen to use. Replace the pump, lid or cap on your bottle. Now you have your finished product and it's ready to use immediately!

The mixture will keep for 6 months or more. Store it away from direct sunlight to get the longest shelf life possible.[3]

Put the mixture in smaller bottles that can easily fit into a purse, backpack or briefcase for use on the go. If you purchase any commercial sanitizers, save the bottles so that you can upcycle them later, since those are perfect for this.

You can usually purchase new empty bottles of this size at the grocery store. Check the aisle with travel size personal care items.

5

Use the sanitizer correctly. There is actually a proper way to use sanitizer to get maximum effectiveness from the product. Before you start, make sure your hands are clean of visible dirt and grime. Sanitizer isn't meant for situations when you find your hands dirty with actual dirt.

Using about a palm-sized amount of the sanitizer, rub your hands briskly together for 20 to 30 seconds, taking care to get underneath your fingernails, between your fingers, the back of your hands and your wrists.

Allow the sanitizer to dry completely, without wiping your hands off or rinsing them with water.

Method2

Adding Essential Oils

1

Determine your goal(s) for adding essential oils. Essential oils can be added to your sanitizer for fragrance alone, but the benefits of essential oils extend well beyond simply providing a pleasant scent.[5] The oils have been used for thousands of years by cultures all over the world to provide healing effects for mental, physical, and emotional ailments.[6]

Inhalation of the different scents offers a wide range of psychological and physical benefits known as aromatherapy.[7]

Essential oils can also be used medicinally by way of both scent and physical application to provide additional health, hygiene and beauty advantages.

The use of essential oils in your hand sanitizer will not only deliver a terrific smell, but they can also address specific physical and mental health issues.

2

Choose essential oils for aromatherapy. Inhaling the scent of a particular essential oil can stimulate your brain to trigger a variety of mental and emotional reactions. By adding them to your hand sanitizer, you can have a therapeutic experience while also killing pesky germs. You can choose one oil or combine oils to create multi-layered effects. The world of aromatherapy is far too vast for a detailed examination here, but there are some specific essential oils that are most commonly employed for use in hand sanitizers.

Cinnamon essential oil has fragrance properties that can reduce drowsiness and enhance concentration.

Lavender essential oil is a rejuvenating scent that can induce relaxation and feelings of calmness.

Rosemary essential oil has properties known to boost information retention, alertness, and memory.

Lemon essential oil has an uplifting scent that can help ease depression and sadness while also boosting energy.

Peppermint essential oil is an invigorating scent that can soothe frazzled nerves and improve mental clarity.[8]

3

Choose essential oils for medicinal purposes. Essential oils have naturally occurring chemicals in them that can provide medicinal and curative benefits when inhaled into the lungs or applied to the skin.[9] There are several essential oils that are known to have powerful antibacterial, antifungal and/or antiviral properties. These qualities make the oils ideal for use in hand sanitizer because they will boost the effectiveness of the product with natural ingredients.

Cinnamon essential oil is known to be a potent antiseptic and its fragrance can also decrease headache pain.

Lavender essential oil can relieve pain associated with headaches and migraines pains, and can be applied topically to relieve minor skin irritations.

Tea Tree essential oil is known to have powerful antiseptic and antibacterial properties when applied topically.[10]

Eucalyptus essential oil has antibacterial properties and can help relieve achy muscles. Inhaling it can clear sinuses and boost the immune system.[11]

4

Use caution. Essential oils are highly concentrated and can have negative side effects if used improperly. Pregnant women and those with immune deficiencies shouldn’t use them without consulting a doctor first. If you’re new to the world of essential oils, do a skin patch test before adding it to your hand sanitizer and using it topically.

Never apply an essential oil directly to the skin without diluting it first. Because they are so concentrated, some of them can be skin irritants.[12]

When working with essential oils, use the highest grade products that you can find. Check the label for terms like “pure grade”, “aromatherapy grade”, “certified organic” and “therapeutic grade” when purchasing.

5

Add your chosen oils to your sanitizer. Measure out 2/3 cup of isopropyl alcohol and 1/3 cup of plain aloe vera gel and dump both of them together in to the bowl.[13] Add ten drops of your chosen essential oil(s). Do not exceed 10 drops! Use your spatula (or spoon) to stir vigorously until all of the ingredients are fully mixed together.

Method3

Making Gel Hand Sanitizer with Grain Alcohol

1

Obtain your ingredients. Most of the components needed to make the hand sanitizer are common household products, so it’s quite possible that you already have most of them. The ingredients you need are 80 proof or higher grain alcohol (vodka), plain aloe vera gel, and essential oil(s) of your choice (optional).[14]

To be comparable to store-bought products like Purell or Germ-X in terms of effectiveness, the final product needs to be at least 65% alcohol.[15] Using 80 proof vodka (or higher) will place your final product within that range.[16]

The essential oils you choose are completely up to you. Lavender, lemon, peppermint, geranium, cinnamon, tea tree and rosemary are common choices.[17] You can use more than one if you like but the total amount of essential oil you use should not exceed 10 drops.

Aloe vera gel also comes in a variety of purity options. You’ll want the purest that you can find – simply check out the label to get the purity information.[18]

2

Gather your tools. You’ll need a clean bowl, a spatula (or spoon), a funnel and a recycled liquid soap or hand sanitizer bottle.[19] If you don’t have an empty bottle on hand to upcycle, you can use any kind of container you want, as long as it has a lid.

3

Combine the ingredients. Measure out 1 ounce of vodka and 3 ounces of plain aloe vera gel and dump both of them together in to the bowl.[20] Add ten drops of your chosen essential oil(s). Use your spatula (or spoon) to stir vigorously until the ingredients are fully mixed together.

If you’d prefer not to mix by hand in a bowl, you can use your food processor instead.

4

Bottle your product. Use the funnel to pour the mixture directly from the bowl into the bottle you’ve chosen to use. Replace the pump, lid or cap on your bottle. Now you have your finished product and its ready-to-use immediately!

Use the mixture within one month. Store it out of direct sunlight.[21]

There will usually be a little sign at the back of the product that will look like a container and will have a number of months. That number is how many months the product will last after its purchase date. Write down the date you got the product and the month that it will expire.

Warnings

Gel alcohol hand purifier is a portable convenience and should not replace washing with soap and water once these are available.

Do not use the sanitizer excessively throughout the day. It can be drying to the skin and unless you’re travelling and unable to get to a sink to wash your hands with soap, you shouldn’t need to use it that much.

Keep any hand sanitizer – whether homemade or store bought – out of the reach of children.